April Is Native Plant Month

Governor Kathy Hochul has proclaimed April 2023 as Native Plant Month in New York State in conjunction with National Native Plant Month, an initiative by the Garden Club of America to amplify the importance of native plants and biodiversity.

Native plants are indigenous species that have evolved alongside native wildlife and occur naturally in a particular geographic region, ecosystem and habitat, and they are essential for healthy, diverse, and sustainable ecosystems, and critical for cleaning air, filtering water, and stabilizing soils for the betterment of the environment, according to a State Legislation resolution to memorialize the governor’s proclamation.

The resolution states that plants that are native to New York are well-adapted to the state’s soils, temperatures, precipitation and environmental conditions, making them the best option for conserving and protecting the environment and adapting to its changes. Native plants are also a food source that provide nectar, pollen, seeds, fruit and foliage for native birds, caterpillars, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife in ways that nonnative plants cannot.

New York State is home to approximately 2,000 native plant species, including large shade trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, grasses and wildflowers.

“Unique to New York State, the plants thriving in our great state have evolved over thousands of years alongside native wildlife and have developed symbiotic relationships which can not be replaced with nonnative plants that have been transported here from distant parts of the world; native insects, caterpillars, and other wildlife have not had time to evolve to be able to eat these strange and exotic foods,” the resolution states.

The resolution notes that some of New York’s rarest plants are federally listed as endangered species; there are approximately 340 plants in New York State listed as endangered by the United States Department of Interior.

The purpose of Native Plant Month, the resolution explains, is to encourage New York’s citizens to remove nonnative invasive plants from yards and community; plant native trees, shrubs and flowers; host native plant hikes; create pollinator gardens and educate fellow citizens about the many benefits of native plants.